Tag: NBA In-Season Tournament

Joakim Noah on Frances Tiafoe, bridging the NBA-tennis gap and the recent rise of French basketball

Former NBA star Joakim Noah is uniquely positioned to discuss the connections between tennis and basketball.

Former NBA star Joakim Noah is uniquely positioned to discuss the connections between tennis and basketball.

Noah, a two-time collegiate men’s basketball national champion at the University of Florida, grew up in New York. His father, Yannick Noah, was a widely-known tennis star in France and reached career-high singles ranking of No. 3 in the world.

YANNICK NOAH: Watch Joakim Noah’s dad ignore a sideline interview to give his son a standing ovation

After his March Madness titles, Noah enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional basketball player. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and even won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.

Although he did not follow in his father’s footsteps to play tennis, he still follows the sport and recently attended the US Open in his hometown of New York City.

The former basketball star, who is celebrated for his intensity and being unafraid to clash with LeBron James, caught up with For The Win from the Emirates Suite during their NBA night at the 2024 US Open.

He discussed his thoughts on tennis star Frances Tiafoe (who wore Noah’s jersey before a match earlier this year), the recent rise of basketball in France (where he represented the national team), and more.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Do you think Frances Tiafoe is creating a bridge between basketball and tennis?

Joakim Noah: Yeah! He has an inner city energy about him and it resonates a lot with the hoopers. A lot of the tennis players don’t know too much about basketball and he’s definitely a bridge. He has a great personality. I love the way he carries himself out there and he is somebody that a lot of the hoopers can relate to.

What drew you to basketball over tennis given your family background?

Joakim Noah: My father was a larger-than-life personality in France. It made me shy away from the game because of people’s expectation toward me when it came to tennis. I felt really safe playing basketball. I loved the team aspect. I loved being able to have friends and be able to do my own thing.

To what do you credit the recent rise of basketball in France?

Joakim Noah: Being retired from the game, I have more time and perspective to travel. I also grew up in the French grassroots system. I understand the difference between the AAU circuit out here in America compared to over there. The reality is that the competition is getting tighter. There is not this dominance that USA once had. I really believe that the reason why, especially in watching [the men’s Olympics gold medal] game, is that the grassroots system is completely different over there. That is the reason you are seeing all of these young talents coming in through the draft. You are seeing Wemby, who is obviously the next face of the league. But they are also doing something on a day-to-day basis: Professional teams have an 18-and-under and a 16-and-under [program]. Even at 12 years old on a Saturday, you can go see the pro team play or the 14 year olds play in the same gym right after your game. The fact you can see what that next level looks like and feels like is great for the younger players.

Describe your feelings watching LeBron versus Wemby in the Olympics final.

Joakim Noah: I think it was an unbelievable game. Obviously, watching Stephen Curry and LeBron James play on the same court after all those great moments they gave us was really powerful. Especially the way that Steph ended the game, you just saw greatness in full display. I felt like France really played their hearts out and they had a team that French people can be really proud of. When you’re playing in big games like that, all it does is inspire the next generation and I think basketball is in a really good place.

What are your impressions of the Emirates NBA Cup and the In-Season Tournament?

Joakim Noah: The NBA In-Season Tournament is something that is really needed for the NBA because the basketball calendar is a marathon. So being able to incentivise the guys to play hard in November and play for the guys who maybe don’t make as much money as the star players just makes everybody play harder. I really appreciate the Emirates NBA Cup because it brings the competition that we all love watching.

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Warriors release schedule of group play for NBA In-Season Tournament

The Warriors will open the NBA’s season in-season tournament against Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks.

In the first edition of the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament, the Golden State Warriors’ run was over before it started.

Following a loss to Malik Monk and the Sacramento Kings in a thriller in Sacramento at the buzzer, the Warriors were eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers went on to win the first in-season tournament, now known as “The Emirates NBA Cup.”

On Tuesday, the NBA announced the schedule of the group stage for the 2024 in-season tournament. The Warriors group stage will begin with the return of Klay Thompson and the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks to the Bay Area. The Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets will round out the rest of Golden State’s group. Three teams in the group all made the playoffs last season.

The schedule full schedule is below:

  • Nov. 12 vs. Dallas Mavericks
  • Nov. 15 vs. Memphis Grizzlies
  • Nov. 22 at New Orleans Pelicans
  • Dec. 3 at Denver Nuggets

Via @warriors on Twitter:

The team with the best record from group play will advance to the knockout rounds that consists of 10 teams. The top team from each group will advance along with a wildcard team from each conference. The knockout rounds are single elimination with the semifinals and finals set in Las Vegas starting on Dec. 14.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Warriors draw Mavericks, Nuggets and others in NBA in-season tournament group stage

The NBA revealed Golden State’s opponents for the group stage of the 2024 in-season tournament.

The NBA’s first-ever in-season tournament came and went for the Golden State Warriors. After tough come-from-behind losses to the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder, the Warriors were eliminated in the group stage of the debut in-season tournament.

In 2024, the Warriors will bring their new-look roster to the second-annual in-season tournament. On Friday, the NBA revealed the draw for the different groups in the tournament. Each conference will have three groups with five teams that will play each other with a ticket to the knockout round on the line. Eight teams will advance to the knockout round.

For the second straight season, the Warriors will be featured in Group C. The Warriors will see the Western Conference defending champion Dallas Mavericks to go along with the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.

Via @NBA on Twitter:

Along with battling against players like Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson in the play-in tournament, the Warriors will also get a reunion with Klay Thompson and the Mavericks during the tournament.

NBA Cup play is set to begin on Nov. 30, 2024.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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NBA refs suddenly have sponsored Emirates patches on their uniforms and fans weren’t happy

After the NBA’s All-Star break, officials have a new look on their jerseys.

After the NBA’s All-Star break, officials have a new look on their jerseys.

The league unveiled a partnership with Emirates on Feb. 8, the same day as the NBA’s trade deadline. They announced the airline as the title sponsor for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup.

Also included in that press release was the news that the Emirates logo will appear on all NBA referee jerseys, starting with the NBA’s 2024 All-Star Game. All referees in the WNBA (beginning in 2025) and G League (starting in 2024-25) will also wear Emirates patches.

Emirates is currently a sponsor across various international sports properties, including referee jersey branding for the FA Cup, Cricket World Cup, and the Rugby World Cup.

Although the news was picked up by several outlets, fans may have missed this information if they were focused on the winners and losers of the trade deadline. After the league returned from the brief All-Star break, though, it did not take long for fans to notice the sponsorship:

Here is more from Chris Herring (via ESPN):

“The move comes at a time when NBA viewership is up from last year on the major networks and at a time when the league’s referees are being shown on television far more than in the past.

Television cameras generally zoom in on lead officials as they finalize their rulings over an in-arena microphone following coach’s challenges, where referees review replays of debatable calls — a process that often takes minutes at a time. The number of reviews has increased in recent years, as league stakeholders voted in 2023 to allow clubs a third challenge if a coach requests and is successful with his first two tries.”

Now that the NBA patches are public, though, fans shared their thoughts:

Tyrese Haliburton celebrated NBA In-Season Tournament upset by posting a fitting ‘Hardball’ clip

Tyrese Haliburton had the perfect response after upsetting the Bucks during the NBA In-Season Tournament.

Watch out, world. Tyrese Haliburton is blossoming in real time.

The Indiana Pacers didn’t get the memo that they weren’t supposed to be heading to the NBA In-Season Tournament Finals. Led by budding star Tyrese Haliburton, they are defying expectations.

On Thursday, they sent the Milwaukee Bucks packing in an epic upset that had had the internet talking as Haliburton hit his version of Damian Lillard’s “Dame Time” celebration.

His parents also could not hide their excitement over how well he’s played lately. (His dad is incredibly wholesome content.)

After their stunning win, Haliburton was fired up and posted a fitting Hardball clip to celebrate the moment.

Charles Barkley roasted former Warriors GM Bob Myers with a morbid Titanic joke

Charles Barkley is a menace.

Charles Barkley was completely unhinged during the NBA on TNT crossover with ESPN.

Barkley is part of what makes the NBA on TNT crew so special. With Ernie Johnson leading the way, Kenny Smith adding in his two cents and Shaquille O’Neal and Chuck constantly cracking jokes about one other, it’s comedic gold.

It only got better — and totally off the rails — when TNT and ESPN decided to do a crossover event for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. Chuck immediately came in from the top rope with a suplex on Stephen A. Smith, and things were off and running from there.

Nobody was safe, including former Golden State Warriors general manager, Bob Myers, who dropped by.

The Inside the NBA crew sounded so disappointed in Zion Williamson and it’s hard to blame them

It feels like Zion should be so much better than this.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Goooood morning, Winners! Happy Friday! I hope you’re having a fantastic day today.

To start us off, I have a question for you. What in the world happened to Zion Williamson?

Everyone is talking about how incredible LeBron James looked last night and, well, rightfully so. The dude is the first person in NBA history to put up at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in just 23 minutes. And he’s 39 years old. That’s a man on a mission right there.

Honestly, at the respective point in their careers, you’d think that those would be numbers we’d be talking about after a Zion Williamson performance. He’s only 23 years old, after all.

Instead, he’s only scoring 13 points and grabbing two rebounds in 44-point losses to 39-year-old LeBron James. That game was such a disappointment to watch from him.

I wasn’t the only one who seemed disappointed. The Inside the NBA crew also ripped him after the game. Charles Barkley said, “He’s got two guys on his team that are better players than him and they shouldn’t be … he should be the best player and he’s not even close.”

Shaq really tore into Williamson, though it was out of a place of tough love.

“I want to make some points about Zion. Does not run hard. It’s not a diss — it’s going to be a lesson from one great big man to another guy that could be a great big man. I had the same problem my first, second year…He doesn’t create easy points for himself…He doesn’t demand the ball…and he doesn’t have that look. In every sport I know a look. Tiger Woods had that look. Jack Nicholson had that look. He doesn’t have that look.”

That’s nothing but disappointment, folks. It’s hard to blame the crew there. Williamson has the potential to be a great player. We’ve all seen it. The Pelicans were No. 1 in the Western Conference behind Williamson’s play.

Remember what he was like when he came out of Duke? It was easy to think he was going to change the league with the way he played. He rebounded like crazy. He finished at the rim whenever he wanted to. He defended and played hard. We haven’t seen that Zion in the NBA yet.

There are certainly fundamental flaws in the Pelican’s roster and rotation that are in the way here. But the TNT guys are right. Sometimes, it just comes down to playing hard. And Williamson isn’t.

He’s going to have to take those criticisms on the chin. Hopefully, they’ll make him better.

It’s Shohei Time?

Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Folks, it may soon be time. After all of our waiting in silence (much to so many people’s chagrin!), it seems Shohei Ohtani may be ready to make a decision on his future.

An Ohtani decision is “imminent” and could be coming as soon as today, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Ohtani watch has officially started.

This is exciting, man. It’s a once-in-a-generation player making a huge decision that’s going to have ripple effects throughout Major League Baseball. This decision could shift things drastically.

I can’t wait.

A quick backdrop: To catch you up, here are some quick primers for Ohtani’s free agency.

— Ranking Shohei Ohtani’s five free agent options

— The rumor mill keeps spinning for Ohtani after MLB Winter Meetings

— Dave Roberts spilled the tea and that may have been a huge mistake

Zapped!

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Bailey Zappe absolutely balled out against the Steelers, leading the Patriots to their third win of the season … in Week 14.

Zappe was reportedly confident he’d get the Patriots’ starting quarterback job at some point. He’s not good, to be sure. But nights like Thursday night show you exactly where that confidence comes from.

He played excellent football, throwing for three touchdowns and 240 yards. He mixed some lasers in there like this one, too.

It was honestly extremely impressive. Maybe a little too impressive? The Patriots are tied for 2nd in the NFL draft order for now. But a few more games like this and New England might play itself out of a shot at a new quarterback.

Tread carefully, Bill Belichick.

Photo of the day: A star is born

Tyrese Haliburton has absolutely been the best player of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament so far. After dispatching the top two teams in the Eastern Conference in back-to-back games, I don’t think that’s up for debate.

He had his moment against the Bucks, putting up 27 points, 15 assists and 7 rebounds. All eyes were on Hali in the end. This was his moment.

. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

What was even better than that, though, was the Lillard time — er, uh, excuse me — Ty time celebration he did in the fourth quarter.

Y’all know what time it is. And if you didn’t, Haliburton just let you know. The league is his.

Quick hits: Trouble in paradise? … The Bears QB woes … and more

— Bobby Portis reportedly “passionately challenged” his new head coach after the Bucks’ loss to the Pacers. That means he just yelled at him. Bryan Kalbrosky has more.

— Al Michaels read the Chicago Bears for filth on national TV. Sheesh. Cory Woodruff has more.

— Folks have been ripping Bill Belichick all year long, but Jabrill Peppers isn’t having it. Charles Curtis has more.

— Here’s a look at the final bracket for the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. Of course, the Lakers made it to the end. Here’s Kalrbosky again.

— Tyrese Haliburton’s parents are so adorable, man. Here’s Robert Zeglinski with more.

— Here’s Charles Curtis with the ESPN College GameDay schedule this weekend.

That’s all, folks! Have a fantastic weekend. Let’s do this all again next week. Until then, peace! We out.

-Sykes ✌️

Tyrese Haliburton’s parents beamed with pride after Pacers superstar led Indy to IST Final

What a heartwarming moment for Tyrese Haliburton’s family.

Tyrese Haliburton’s meteoric rise into NBA superstardom is finally under a national spotlight. There’s no other conclusion as the Indiana Pacers talisman lights up the league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. He has officially arrived on a rising Indy squad, and it’s high time everyone recognizes it.

As Haliburton put the Milwaukee Bucks in a spin cycle to lead the Pacers to the Final on Thursday, his parents — sitting courtside — were loving every moment. They were particularly enamored with Haliburton’s dagger three that effectively ended the game. (Note: This isn’t the first time that Haliburton’s dad has been involved with the Pacers’ endeavors, especially in a helpful way. Far from it.)

There’s almost nothing better in any sport than seeing proud parents beam with pride for their children:

Haliburton is only 23 years old. I have a feeling he’s about to serve up many moments like this for his folks for a very long time. He will probably even do it during Saturday’s IST Final.

Tyrese Haliburton mocked Damian Lillard’s ‘Dame Time’ nickname after a dagger 3 against the Bucks

Tyrese Haliburton knows what time it is.

It’s Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton’s world, and we’re all just living in it.

As the Pacers got an NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, Haliburton made sure to let the opponent know whose time it was to shine.

After knocking down a huge 3-pointer, Haliburton decided to check a metaphorical watch on his wrist and told the crowd that “I know what time it is,” a dig at Bucks guard Damian Lillard’s “Dame Time” nickname.

If you’re trying to show up one of the better teams in the NBA, this is how you do it. Haliburton’s stellar night led to a stellar act of trolling.

Lillard didn’t take too kindly to Haliburton’s trolling.

The Pacers could be a frisky contender in the Eastern Conference, as Haliburton leads one of the best offenses in the NBA this season.

We’ll see if Indiana can go all the way in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament and if that momentum translates to the actual playoffs.

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The Lakers’ loose ball phantom timeout might be the worst call by NBA officials this season

What a gift from the basketball gods

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Gooooood morning, Winners! Happy Wednesday! Hope you’re having a fantastic week so far. Thanks so much for taking a second and reading today.

The NBA In-Season Tournament has been so fun. So, of course, the NBA’s officials had to ruin an instant classic between the Suns and the Lakers.

If you don’t know what happened, the Lakers were gifted a timeout that they shouldn’t have been able to call. My colleague, Charles Curtis, has more here.

A quick synopsis: Austin Reaves loses possession of the ball on the inbound pass. Grayson Allen picks the ball up and you think the Suns have a chance to tie the game.

Nope. Instead, LeBron James is given a timeout.

This shouldn’t have happened, folks. The Lakers didn’t possess the ball. And, as Curtis writes, if you don’t possess the ball then you can’t call a timeout. It’s that simple.

Instead, LeBron James gets the timeout. The Lakers get the ball and LA puts the game away. Instead of going to overtime, it’s a loss for the Suns and quite the blemish on the In-Season Tournament.

I’m not particularly eager about criticizing officials. They have a hard job to do — officiating the best athletes in the world is not easy. But, man. This is embarrassing. That was an easy one. And missing that in the middle of arguably the best game of the In-Season Tournament so far? This is supposed to be a moment for the league to showcase its product. The officials are part of that. And, boy, that doesn’t look good.

Ultimately, it is what it is. The game went on and the Suns lost. The league is probably happy the Lakers made it through to the finals as one of its premier franchises with its biggest face being LeBron James.

But, man. Just know the last two-minute report today is going to be hilarious. We might even get another one of those apologies!  That’ll make it all better, Suns fans.

Shohei Ohtani’s secret free agency is actually very cool

(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

There’s been a lot of complaining about how secretive Shohei Ohtani’s free agency so far. Especially after Dave Roberts’ likely blunder of revealing the Dodgers’ meeting with the two-way star.

Folks are now asking why Ohtani has to be so secretive. The argument against his secrecy is that fans are missing out on the intrigue surrounding the free agency process.

I must say, though, I’m not MLB nut, but it sure seems like we’re still talking about everything just fine.

Ohtani hasn’t said a single word and we’re still grabbing on to every single morsel of information we can. I mean, look at all the rumors we’ve gathered up here! There’s still a lot of intrigue there.

Silence doesn’t take away the suspense. It only adds more. That’s what makes this so great.

Remember when LeBron James took a few weeks before telling us he was signing with the Lakers? Wasn’t that fun? Or what about the time Kevin Durant broke the news that he was going to the Warriors with a column? That was also still very fun.

The process doesn’t always have to be out in the open for us to talk about it. Sometimes, the background suspense can be just as good.

Some friendly advice from Kelsey Plum

(Mitchell Northam / For The Win)

It looks like Caitlin Clark is going to break Kelsey Plum’s scoring record at some point this season. She’s on pace to do it now.

There’s a lot that comes with that, though, according to Kelsey Plum. Our Meghan Hall has the details on the sage advice the WNBA pro is giving to the future No. 1 pick.

“While Plum is a two-time WNBA champion, she says transitioning from college to the pros was difficult. With her all-time NCAA scoring record (3,527) on pace to be broken by Clark this season, she’s warning her of what comes next.

Per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, Plum expressed concern about who Caitlin Clark is as a person getting lost in the shuffle of earning the scoring title.”

Here’s what Plum had to say:

“I feel like people started caring less about the game and more about just the individual points,” Plum said. “You can play really well and score 15, 20 points and have a great game and people will be like, ‘Aw, it was only a 20-point game.’ It was tough for me because I felt like I lost a little bit of my identity and it ultimately led to a tough transition into the (WNBA) because the expectations were so high. So, if anything, I’d try to send her as much compassion and love as I can and I hope the people around her are checking in with her … because it’s going to be tough to feel like you’re just playing basketball.”

That’s spot on. It took a while for Plum to find her footing in the WNBA. Clark might see the same path ahead of her, too, as the physicality and defense kick up a notch at the next level.

Luckily for her, it seems, she’ll have folks like Plum supporting her along the way. At least when she’s not playing against her, anyway.

Quick hits: Is it time for Bill Belichick to go? … Taylor Swift in TIME! … and more

— Christian D’Andrea listed out the NFL’s most fireable coaches and, yes, Bill Belichick is on the list.

— Taylor Swift is TIME Magazine’s person of the year. Looking for every photo in the feature? Caroline Darney’s got you covered.

— We finally know who is going to Vegas. Bryan Kalbrosky has the final bracket for the NBA’s In-Season tournament.

— Giannis finding out that the winner of the NBA cup gets more money is HILARIOUS. Here’s Bryan with more, again.

— David Carr thinks the Eagles should bench Jalen Hurts for Marcus Mariota. Yes, that’s a real sentence. Cory Woodruff has more.

—Here’s the full MLB Draft Order from Mary Clarke.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading today. We’ll catch you tomorrow. Until then, peace!

-Sykes ✌️